FLL or Miami to POM Terminal

[sagosto63]

Family of 4 with a 1 year old and a 4 year old leaving EWR (Jersey) for a POM cruise in December. We are debating a FLL arrival instead of Miami as it allows us more flight and hotel options. My immediate concerns is we won't have car seats for both kids and while I am sure we could use a shuttle w/o car seats, I don't want to take a risk for a 40-60 minute FLL to POM travel. I could arrive in Miami and stay near the port but not sure I want to take that risk either. Any advice?

[JohninDC]

The airline will check the car seats for free if you do not want to use them on the flight; you also might check out the Family cruise board to see what others travelling with kids to POM did.

 

Some of the FLL shared shuttles offer car seats - check with QLS, SAS, MJS, and Go Airport Shuttle.

 

The cruise line transfer bus from either MIA or FLL is another expensive option that will not require a car seat.

 

If you fly into MIA some of the airport area hotels offer shuttles to the port - check Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites in the Blue Lagoon area.

 

Good luck! :)

[tigergrl0204]

We are looking at the Comfort Inn Miami Airport hotel. They do transfers from the airport to hotel and hotel to the port. It would be a shorter ride without car seats. We recently stayed at a Comfort Inn and were impressed with it. We have 3 kids,3,7,and 8, so having transportation from airport and to the port was important to me. We do have a blowup travel car seat we’ll bring for the 3 yr old so we have it for the island stops.

[sagosto63]

The airline will check the car seats for free if you do not want to use them on the flight; you also might check out the Family cruise board to see what others travelling with kids to POM did.

 

Some of the FLL shared shuttles offer car seats - check with QLS, SAS, MJS, and Go Airport Shuttle.

 

The cruise line transfer bus from either MIA or FLL is another expensive option that will not require a car seat.

 

If you fly into MIA some of the airport area hotels offer shuttles to the port - check Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites in the Blue Lagoon area.

 

Good luck! :)

 

Thanks for the help. We booked a Miami flight so transportation will be easier. Can we assume the hotel shuttle would have car seats for kids? Or, do I need to look at the ones mentioned above that offer that service? I am assuming the hotel has transportation (assume fee-based) for the POM transfer so they should have car seats available.

 

We are looking at the Comfort Inn Miami Airport hotel. They do transfers from the airport to hotel and hotel to the port. It would be a shorter ride without car seats. We recently stayed at a Comfort Inn and were impressed with it. We have 3 kids,3,7,and 8, so having transportation from airport and to the port was important to me. We do have a blowup travel car seat we’ll bring for the 3 yr old so we have it for the island stops.

 

Like this?

https://www.amazon.com/BubbleBum-Backless-Inflatable-Travel-Booster/dp/B00AQYZCXK?th=1

 

 

That will work for my 4 year old but not my 1 year old. It seems odd to me that this isn't easier given the # of kids I see on the cruise unless most folks are bring car seats which is a PITA.

[tigergrl0204]

Thanks for the help. We booked a Miami flight so transportation will be easier. Can we assume the hotel shuttle would have car seats for kids? Or, do I need to look at the ones mentioned above that offer that service? I am assuming the hotel has transportation (assume fee-based) for the POM transfer so they should have car seats available.

 

 

 

Like this?

https://www.amazon.com/BubbleBum-Backless-Inflatable-Travel-Booster/dp/B00AQYZCXK?th=1

 

 

That will work for my 4 year old but not my 1 year old. It seems odd to me that this isn't easier given the # of kids I see on the cruise unless most folks are bring car seats which is a PITA.

 

Yes, that’s the one we have. Def wouldn’t work for the 1 yr old, but if you use the shuttle I believe they don’t have to be in a car seat, but I could be wrong. I know you didn’t mention the Comfort Inn specifically, but their transportation from the airport to hotel and hotel to port are free. We will obviously tip, but that is another reason this hotel is appealing since we’re just using it as a place to sleep. Oh, I did see on my FB feed a collapsible car seat... I just googled it and found a couple things...maybe this one would be an option? https://www.watchwhole.com/products/adjustable-baby-car-seat-for-6-months-5-years-old-baby-safe-toddler-booster-seat-child-seats-potable-chair?variant=37876803137&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp5TV58-O3AIVSY1-Ch3a6wsxEAQYBCABEgL9EvD_BwE

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Thanks for the help. We booked a Miami flight so transportation will be easier. Can we assume the hotel shuttle would have car seats for kids? Or, do I need to look at the ones mentioned above that offer that service? I am assuming the hotel has transportation (assume fee-based) for the POM transfer so they should have car seats available.

 

 

 

Like this?

https://www.amazon.com/BubbleBum-Backless-Inflatable-Travel-Booster/dp/B00AQYZCXK?th=1

 

 

That will work for my 4 year old but not my 1 year old. It seems odd to me that this isn't easier given the # of kids I see on the cruise unless most folks are bring car seats which is a PITA.

I traveled with a huge and heavy Britax Frontier for the kiddo. You don't haul it around. You get a $25 handtruck and use bungee cords to tie it the seat to the cart.

 

If you are bringing a stroller for the kiddo, it's easier to get a $40 Cosco Scenera NEXT for travel and bungee cord it to the stroller. Use the NEXT on the plane. On the plane you can choose to RF or FF your 1 yo (rear facing is highly preferable), but you absolutely need to rear face in a car till at least 2 years of age.

 

 

 

For the 4 yo, depending on his/her size, I'd use an Evenflo Maestro or if the kid is very tall and heavy enough for a booster, I'd use a no back booster. However, being tall and heavy didn't provide my 4 yo (43", 42#) a good seat belt fit in a no back booster.

 

Please check out Travel with Children board on www.babycenter.com for more advice.

 

Here is what NEXT looks like on a stroller:

 

 

 

or a hand truck

 

 

if you wheel it all the way to the gate anyway, and your 1 yo is not a lap baby, just use it on the plane. There is no way to assure the seat's safety if you check it as luggage, even if you gate check. NEVER EVER check the car seats as luggage. In the worst case scenario you should GATE check it.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Evenflo Maestro can also be attached to a hand truck with bungee cords and the kid can actually sit in it like this:

 

 

It's very easy to travel with since it's so light. You can install it on the plane.

 

Here is my kiddo on the plane in his Britax Frontier at 5. We brought it with us because we had a rental car drive after the cruise. Since he is tall and heavy and mature enough to be in a booster, we usually brought a no back booster for him for cruise travel which didn't involve long rides (over 2 miles) in a taxi or a rental car since he was 4. At home he was harnessed till 6+.